


Awkward Segues

by tchele



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Post Silent Service, Pre-Relationship, Spoilers for “She”
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2020-01-01 05:47:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18329843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tchele/pseuds/tchele
Summary: McGee ties matters into his own hands to let Ellie know Nick has changed his opinion about having a family, and it leads to a confession from Ellie about Ziva.





	Awkward Segues

Timothy McGee was tired of his partners dancing around each other. After watching his previous partners do that and seeing the heartbreak that lead to, he knew he had to intervene. He had been replaying a conversation he and Nick Torres had earlier in the day in his head and knew Ellie Bishop needed clued in, so at a quiet point in Ducky’s non-retirement party when Nick stepped away from Ellie to help Kasie with something Tim knew the time for action was now.

“Hey Ellie? You got a minute?” Tim asked,

“Sure McGee, what’s up?” Ellie answered with her own question.

“Elevator?” McGee suggested.

“Okay. Sure.” Ellie replied with a questioning tone in her voice, but she followed him.

Once inside the elevator with the doors closed McGee flipped the emergency stop switch. “How’s Boyd?” McGee ventured.

“You pulled me into the elevator to ask me about a guy I went on four dates with a couple months ago?” Ellie asked.

“So you aren’t seeing him anymore?” McGee queried.

“No. I never rescheduled with him after Nick canceled my date. I’m not really dating anyone. We’ve been a little busy.” Ellie answered. “What’s this all about?”

“Why didn’t you reschedule?” McGee replied.

“It didn’t feel right.” Ellie answered honestly.

“Because you are dancing around your feelings for Nick and why he canceled your date?” McGee asked.

“Maybe, but we want different things. He made that clear at Christmas. He doesn’t want a family and I do. If I’m being perfectly honest I think that is the only reason I went out with Boyd in the first place.” Ellie answered. “Why are you asking me these questions?”

“Nick and I had a conversation today where he told me some things. I’m pretty sure that case at Christmas combined with some recent events may have changed his mind about what he said at Christmas.” McGee replied carefully.

“Recent events?” Ellie asked.

“He texted Boyd because he doesn’t want you dating anyone else, you know that, right?” McGee replied with his own question.

“Actually I don’t know that because he won’t talk to me about it, and I did ask him why he did it.” Ellie said.

“What did he say?” McGee asked.

“He didn’t, he looked like he was going to give me a real answer and then he just clammed up.” Ellie answered. “What happened today?”

“He told me he wants a family one day. I noticed things changed between you two after Christmas when he said that he didn’t want kids. I thought it might be because you want kids and I thought you deserved to know he changed his mind. I watched Tony and Ziva for years banter back and forth, flirt, fight, and miss their chance. I wish I could go back and have this conversation with Ziva, but I can’t. I don’t want you to miss your chance.” McGee confessed.

Ellie is quiet for a minute and McGee thinking she is lost in thought reaches for the emergency stop to turn the elevator back on but Ellie stops him. “She’s not dead.” Ellie whispered.

“What?” McGee asked.

“Ziva. She’s not dead.” Ellie answered softly.

“What do you mean? We watched her farmhouse burn. Trent Kort had her killed.” McGee replied.

“The Morgan Burke case. After it was over I went to the hospital to read Hill the letter Morgan’s mother had dictated to Ziva before she died, but when I got there he told me ‘Someone had already read it to him and she said she was going to haunt his dreams.’” Ellie confessed.

“Anyone could have read that to him, Ziva’s dead.” McGee replied.

“I’m not done. When I went back to her private office things had been moved and there was a note to me that asked me to keep her secret for the safety of her family. It was the same handwriting as the journals.” Ellie continued.

“Who else knows about the note?” McGee asked.

“No one. I tried to follow what she asked and keep Gibbs Rule, but it’s too much I had to tell someone. Sorry, I probably should have talked to Gibbs about the note months ago.” Ellie answered.

“Do you think Tony knows? Is that why he stayed in Paris?” McGee asked the shock of the situation evident on his face.

“I don’t know. He isn’t returning my calls.” Ellie answered.

“I can’t believe she’s alive. Why would she let us think she was dead?” McGee asked.

“If it was the only way to keep Morgan and Johnny safe you’d do it in a heartbeat, you know you would.” Ellie answered.

“True.” McGee replied. “Ok we can’t do anything about Ziva, but what are you going to do about Nick?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t think tonight is the time to bring it up to him, it’s been a really long and emotional day.” Ellie replied.

“Don’t wait too long. Things can change in an instant you know that better than anyone.” McGee said as he turned the elevator back on.

When the doors opened they came face to face with Nick. “Everything ok?” Nick asked, his eyes glancing from one to the other.

“Yep. Everything is fine. Now if you excuse me I’m going to say goodbye to Ducky, and go home to my wife and kids.” McGee answered.

“You really ok?” Nick asked once McGee had moved away from them.

“Yeah. He just wanted to tell me something and check in about everything that happened today.” Ellie answered. “Do you wanna go grab some dinner? We haven’t done that in awhile.”

“Sure.” Nick answered. “You want to invite Jimmy, Kasie, and Jack?”

“No, I don’t want to deal with questions about how I’m feeling after being stuck on that submarine and how close a call it was. I’m not up to it tonight.” Ellie replied.

“Ok, you sure you want to go out?” Nick asked, suddenly worried about his friend. “If you just want to go home...”

“Chinese or Italian?” Ellie suggested as she made her way to her car.

“You choose.” Nick replied.

“Italian it is.” Ellie said. “After we eat you are going to tell me all about the conversation you had with McGee earlier...”

~fin

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not crazy about the ending but I wanted to get this up before Mona Lisa airs(also trying to update GNO before tonight too!) and the title is random lol


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